6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Earlier this week, Governor Cuomo unveiled his latest nine-figure infrastructure proposal, a $10 billion overhaul of JFK Airport. As 6sqft explained, the plan address three main issues: "unifying all the terminals with an interconnected layout so the airport is more easily navigable; improving road access to the airport; and expanding rail mass transit to meet projected passenger growth." This final point included a direct rail link so that passengers traveling to and from Manhattan wouldn't need to ride the subway to connect to the AirTrain. The Regional Plan Association decided to explore this idea further, and in a report out today they've detailed five different approaches for a "one-seat ride" to JFK, which includes an extension of the Second Avenue Subway and a new underground tunnel.
All the possibilities right this way

Transit

January 6, 2017

NYC subway station cell and Wi-Fi service launch ahead of schedule

As of Monday, January 9, New Yorkers will be able to receive cellphone service and Wi-Fi at most underground stations in the city, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday. The cellphone launch, which includes coverage from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless, is one year ahead of schedule. The Wi-Fi installation was completed two years early. The MTA […]

Uncategorized

SOM reveals official rendering for American Bible Society-replacing condo-rental tower

The former American Bible Society building (L); SOM’s new design for 1865 Broadway (R)

January 6, 2017

SOM reveals official rendering for American Bible Society-replacing condo-rental tower

In the fall of 2015, the American Bible Society moved from their long-time home at Broadway and 61st Street to Philadelphia. Their Columbus Circle/Lincoln Center headquarters was built in 1965 by architects Roy O. Allen Jr. and Donald C. Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, who created a 12-story Brutalist structure that was the first in the city constructed with load-bearing, pre-cast concrete exterior walls. But with the institution's recent departure came the sale of the building at 1865 Broadway for $300 million to AvalonBay Communities. The developer returned to the original architectural firm to create a new condo-rental tower at the site, and CityRealty has now uncovered SOM's first official rendering of what will replace their former work, which, interestingly enough, harkens back to the Brutalist aesthetic.
Find out more this way

January 6, 2017

MIT’s new tree canopy map reveals New York City needs more greens

By Hannah Frishberg

In an effort to promote urban tree cover, researchers at MIT's Senseable City Lab have developed Treepedia, a platform for mapping the canopies of ten different major cities. Using Google Street View panoramas to serve as a Green View Index (GVI) to compare and evaluate green canopy coverage, Treepedia provides a visual map of trees and vegetation in Boston, Geneva, London, Los Angeles, Paris, Sacramento, Seattle, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Turin, Vancouver and of course, New York.
New York is one of the least green cities

Uncategorized

January 6, 2017

New renderings of Court Square City View Tower, Queens’ future tallest building

When plans were originally filed in February 2016, the Long Island City skyscraper since dubbed Court Square City View Tower was set to reach 964 feet. In April, it got bumped up to supertall status at 984 feet, making it Queens' future tallest building. It's since been dropped to 66 stories, but according to a new project page from architects Hill West (formerly Goldstein Hill & West), it will still be Long Island City's tallest tower, and therefore the tallest in the borough. CityRealty first noticed the updated details, which come with the first true renderings of the 800-unit condominium at 23-15 44th Drive. In addition to 360-degree views of Manhattan, the tower will offer an all-glass curtainwall facade, a retail base, and a slew of corner-apartment balconies.
More details ahead

January 6, 2017

Before & After: 10 NYC blocks and enclaves transformed by pedestrian-friendly design

New York clocks in more steps on average than any other state in the country, and that number is most definitely skewed by New York City where more residents hit the pavement than the gas pedal. But in a town that's seemingly dominated by pedestrians, car culture maintains the right of way. According to Vision Zero, NYC's program to reduce traffic-related fatalities, being struck by a vehicle is the leading cause of injury-related death for children under 14, and the second leading cause for seniors. Providing more public space for pedestrians has become an increasing concern for the city over the last decade, and as such, a multitude of plans have been put forward to create sanctuaries from traffic or to reconfigure streets to keep people safe. But beyond preventing traffic accidents, by planting more trees, expanding sidewalks and bike paths, and installing seating, these urban renewal projects have also been key in promoting walking, biking, health and ultimately a more desirable and habitable New York City.
see more here

January 6, 2017

Lottery opens for 44 affordable senior apartments on Staten Island’s Stapleton waterfront

Go-to affordable housing firm Aufgang Architects and developer Arker Companies revealed renderings for a six-story, 67-unit building along Staten Island's Stapleton waterfront back in 2014. The under-construction project at 533 Bay Street, which offers low-income apartments for those 62 years of age and older, is now accepting applications for 44 of its units--three $686/month studios and 41 $737/month one-bedrooms, available to seniors earning up to 50 percent of the area media income. In addition to living in a brand-new building, residents will be in an up-and-coming area, where just a block away the massive rental development Urby is underway (the project boasts NYC’s first residential urban farm, as well as tons of retail space).
READ MORE

Affordable Housing

January 6, 2017

Go for baroque in this $18M Upper East Side townhouse with a three-tiered garden, two kitchens and gym

For anyone who can't decide between an Italian palazzo and a townhouse on the Upper East Side, this 6,800-square-foot "slice of Manhattan" might be just the answer. Rising six stories (five plus a gym/laundry/storage enhanced-cellar) at 115 East 79th Street just off Park Avenue and two blocks from Central Park, this beyond-opulent single-family home was built in 1903 but was far more recently renovated with just about every move-in ready modern upgrade you can think of. There are two kitchens, four outdoor spaces and seven wood-burning fireplaces–all accessible by an elevator or stairs.
Tour this opulent uptown mansion

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

Brooklyn Heights townhouse sells for $24.5M, the borough's priciest sale of 2026

This $6.75M Gothic Revival townhouse in Park Slope was once a church rectory

7,000-square-foot 'wellness loft' in the West Village asks $25.8M, working phone booth included

For $7.15M, this Sag Harbor 1930s cottage is a timeless waterfront refuge

Hudson Valley 1750s stone house with a waterfall on the grounds asks $1.5M

This landmarked $3M Flatbush townhouse is architecturally significant and expansively livable, garage included

One of the oldest wood-frame houses in Brooklyn Heights asks $4.9M

Build your own $18.75M trophy penthouse under a copper rooftop overlooking Central Park

Justin and Hailey Bieber buy West Village condo for $12M

Cobble Hill's most expensive home finds a buyer

VIEW ALL

January 6, 2017

Plans filed for a 21-story Coney Island ‘Dreams’ project on the boardwalk

Developer John Catsimatidis' Red Apple Group has filed plans for a 21-story tower on a Surf Avenue parcel that he purchased last summer according to Brooklyn Daily; the tower is part of a three-building Coney Island project that will likely include 415 apartments and retail. In the billionaire grocery mogul's typically patient fashion, he has slowly been acquiring the Boardwalk-adjacent lots between West 35th and West 37th streets for the project, called Ocean Dreams, since 2005.
Find out more

January 6, 2017

FREE RENT: A roundup of NYC’s latest rental concessions

By Ondel Hylton

Midtown West’s Mercedes House with 80,000+ Square Feet of Amenities Now Offering Two Months Free on Select Leases [link] Up to Two Months of Free Rent at Murray Hill’s The Frontier [link] Two Months Free with 18-Month Leases at Battery Park City’s Gateway Rentals [link] Brodsky Offering Up to Three Months Free at City Tower […]

Real Estate Trends

January 5, 2017

Mike Myers drops $14.65M on Tribeca condo at super-luxe 443 Greenwich

The red-brick, former warehouse building at 443 Greenwich Street in Tribeca was converted to boutique condos by CetraRuddy Architects and developer Metro Loft Management in 2014, and since then it's been attracting quite a bit of high-profile interest thanks to its low-profile location, luxurious lofts, and wealth of amenities. The latest celeb to cash in here is Mike Myers; the Observer reports that he and wife Kelly Tisdale have dropped $14.65 million on a four-bedroom spread (more than the $14.25 million list price). The funnyman has been trying to sell his Soho penthouse since April 2015, and though there's no word that it's found a buyer, that could very well be the reason for the move.
More on Myers' new abode

January 5, 2017

Ousted ‘Today’ show anchor Billy Bush finally sells Chelsea townhouse

Disgraced "Today" show anchor Billy Bush had bought the townhouse at 224 West 22nd Street in Chelsea in December 2015 in preparation for his new gig with NBC, but after video hit of his "locker room" chat with Donald Trump, the network gave him the boot. He had listed the residence seven months earlier, but when he lost his job he chopped the price from $8,995,000 to $8,250,000 this past October. His quick getaway plan proved mostly successful, as the Wall Street Journal reports that it's now in contract.
Find out more

January 5, 2017

Donald Trump inaugural ball will be a display of NYC cliches; Amazon opening book store at Time Warner Center

All those years of Jersey jokes might be having an effect; the state is the most moved-from in the country (it probably has more to do with high property taxes and poor road conditions). [CNN] Why Christmas tree sales are still booming in Brighton Beach. [NYP] Reports say that one of Donald Trump’s inaugural balls will […]

Uncategorized

January 5, 2017

New York City ranks 4th in top 50 bed bug cities

Minuscule and blood-sucking, bed bugs are a growing public health problem in the United States. And they are a big problem in New York City and Philadelphia. Both ranked among the worst cities in the nation for bed bugs, according to an annual list by pest control company Orkin that was released Tuesday. Orkin ranked the […]

City Living

January 5, 2017

NFL star Damon Harrison scores a $1.55M ritzy manor in northern Jersey

Defensive tackle Damon Harrison (aka Snacks) signed a $9.25 million/year contract with the New York Giants in March 2016, and it looks like he's decided to put some of that cash into the real estate game. The Post reports that the 28-year-old player just dropped $1.55 million on a ritzy, custom-built manor in northern New Jersey. Located in the Washington Township, about 20 miles from MetLife Stadium, the palatial, 7,080-square-foot home was custom built in 2013 and boasts glamorous (though at times a bit gaudy) details like an oversized heated driveway to melt snow, a two-story marble foyer complete with a bridal staircase and gigantic chandelier, and a double-height great room overlooked by three upstairs balconies.
See it all here

January 5, 2017

Port Authority’s ‘quid pro quo capital plan’ for NY and NJ stifles infrastructure improvements

Yesterday, 6sqft revealed Governor Cuomo's plan to give JFK Airport a long overdue overhaul, an endeavor that would cost nearly $10 billion, funded just over two-thirds in part by the private sector with another $2 billion provided by the government. Given that most of New York and New Jersey's regional transportation infrastructure (including bridges, tunnels and airports) falls within the joint jurisdiction of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New Jersey will as a result receive similar funding for a project of their own—and that's a problem according to The Record reporter Paul Berger. Yesterday, Berger published a confidential document obtained from the Port Authority that details how $30 billion will be spent on infrastructure over the next 10 years. While the purpose of the Port Authority is to divvy up cash across the region based on need, as Berger writes, the document simply shows how "interstate jealousies over funding" have led to a "quid pro quo capital plan" that completely bucks this objective.
more details here

Transit

January 5, 2017

NYC documents dating back to 1674 will get a new home after gathering dust for centuries

While paper might be becoming a thing of the past, it's often the one thing that remains of our recorded history. And while it was often our sole means of recording that history, paper is among the most difficult media to preserve. To that end, New York City's painstakingly stacked, filed and boxed New York Supreme Court records, part of an immense collection of official documents dating back as far as 1674, are being moved from the archival homes they’ve occupied for, in some cases, centuries. The New York Times reports on a heroic effort by dedicated archivists to round up the these city records in order to preserve them for posterity and make them more accessible to researchers.
From early immigration papers to Aaron Burr's divorce

History

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 1/5-1/11

By Lori Zimmer

Happy New Year! New year, new month, new #Midnightmoment film in Times Square. This month Pipilotti Rist flattens and squishes her face each night across the screens in conjunction with her solo show at the New Museum. SF’s Spoke Art also opens a new show curated at Supersonic at their LES outpost, and Japanese artist Ayakamay examines media perception at The Lodge Gallery. But if you're looking for a throwback or something more low-key, hear from old school graffiti writers at Eric Firestone Gallery, or treat yourself to new and exciting film at the Museum of the Moving Image. Lastly, head to The City Reliquary to catch a screening about Philip Johnson’s iconic World’s Fair pavilion in Flushing Meadow, bring your ideas to The Center for Architecture, and then visit the Brooklyn Museum for free courtesy of Target.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

January 5, 2017

High-income renters on the rise in the Bronx and Queens

In November, 6sqft shared an analysis from RentCafe that showed the number of high-income renters in NYC has tripled over the last decade, with the number of renter households earning more than $150,000 annually increasing by 217 percent between 2005 and 2015, from 551,000 to 1.75 million. Now, DNAinfo has asked the site to break the data down further by neighborhood, and what it tells us is that Eastchester and Baychester in the Bronx and East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights in Queens saw the largest increase in wealthy renters.
Learn more and explore RentCafe's interactive charts

January 5, 2017

Get 2-for-1 tickets at 74 museums, venues, tours during NYC Attractions Week

If you hate flying solo, this deal is for you. Starting January 17th, the city will kick off its first ever NYC Attractions Week, a 20-day (not 7!) extravaganza that will offer two-for-one admission at more than 70 New York destinations and experiences, including museums like the Guggenheim and Cooper Hewitt, rides to the top of the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center, access to Lincoln Center and The Metropolitan Opera House, and much more.
find out more and #seeyourcity

January 5, 2017

Mark Ruffalo checks out a $10M renovated Upper West Side brownstone

After a tough stretch of protesting at Standing Rock, Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian Mark Ruffalo may be treating himself to some pricey NYC real estate. The Post reports that he and wife Sunrise Coigney toured a large, renovated brownstone on the Upper West Side. Listed for $9.99 million, the five-story home at 161 West 91st Street boasts high-end offerings like a six-stop elevator, a roof deck, and a glassy rear extension that on the ground floor opens completely to a private garden.
Tour the home

January 5, 2017

$8M Tribeca loft is artist-owned and comes with a spacious studio and sculptor neighbor

The interiors at this jumbo Tribeca loft are a work of art even at first glance; that's likely because the 4,223 square foot home at 173 Duane Street is currently owned by artist Merrill Steiger, who bought it in 2008 for $3.85 million. Incidentally, the two-bedroom loft co-op is also in the building where sculptor Richard Serra has lived and worked since the 1990s. Serra, who is known for his large-scale site-specific works, has at various times purchased the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the classic early 20th-century cast iron building with his wife, Clara. The sprawling second floor apartment with a separate art studio is currently listed by Steiger for $7.95 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

January 4, 2017

REVEALED: $10 billion overhaul announced for JFK Airport – see new renderings

"We shouldn’t settle for second best on anything,” Governor Cuomo proclaimed at the opening of the Second Avenue Subway this past weekend, and he was serious. This afternoon Cuomo announced that John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) will receive a massive overhaul that will transform the dated hub into a modern, state-of-the-art facility that can finally "meet the needs of a 21st century economy." As laid out by the governor's office, the revamp will address three main issues: unifying all the terminals with an interconnected layout so the airport is more easily navigable; improving road access to the airport; and expanding rail mass transit to meet projected passenger growth. In 2016 the airport served 60 million passengers, and this number is expected to increase to 75 million by 2030 and 100 million passengers by 2050.
more details and renderings this way

Transit

January 4, 2017

New York Times names the South Bronx one of the world’s top travel destinations for 2017

In addition to far-flung and exotic locales such as Kazakhstan, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Sikkim, India, and Marrakesh, Morocco, the New York Times has added to its list of "52 Places to Go in 2017" several cities across the U.S. on the cusp of gentrification or about to make a comeback. One of these is the South Bronx, subtitled as "an industrial neighborhood's revival." They point to the 'hood's declining crime rates, wave of new development, and, of course, burgeoning foodie scene.
Read the whole travel blurb here

Uncategorized

January 4, 2017

Mini Metros shrinks and simplifies 220 transit systems from around the world

When D.C.-based graphic designer and transit enthusiast Peter Dovak tried his hand at creating a transportation-based app, he was taken by the clean, simple appearance of the icons he'd made for the navigation bar--small circles containing shrunken versions of metro or light rail systems. He's now designed them for 220 cities as part of his ongoing Mini Metros series, and made the colorful maps available as prints, mugs, and magnets.
Get a closer look

January 4, 2017

How to exercise during your commute

Snag the Greenest Seat in Town: Gufram's 1972 Pratone Chair is Shaped Like a Patch of Grass

We all spend several idle minutes—sometimes hours—daily waiting for the train or the bus on the way to and from work. Reading, listening to music or a favorite podcast can help you stay occupied, but there’s another way to optimize your time in transit. From stretching on the subway platform to meditating while you ride, […]

City Living

THE 6SQFT SHOP

The 6 best furniture rental companies in NYC

8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods

The best websites for buying and selling used furniture in NYC

Everything you need to know about using a guarantor in NYC

15 quintessential NYC gifts for the New Yorker in your life

Raising chickens in NYC: Laws, tips, and everything else you need to know

50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

VIEW ALL

January 4, 2017

Live like Theodore Roosevelt in an updated log cabin upstate for $1.15M

By Emily Nonko

This rustic cabin was built in the early 1900s on land that was part of Theodore Roosevelt’s 1897 Campfire Club. And that's not the only presidential connection the property comes with: it's also located upstate in Chappaqua, hometown of the Clintons. Asking $1.15 million, the cabin was renovated and doubled in size by the current owners in 2005, who managed to preserve the feeling of the original, retro cabin. And although you're living out in the woods, it's only a 50 minute trip into Manhattan.
Check out the full property

January 4, 2017

Inside Brooklyn’s greenhouse on wheels; Illustrating the characters at Carnegie Deli’s last night

Brooklyn’s custom-designed Tula Plant Truck is a first-of-its-kind mobile greenhouse that lets New Yorkers shop for and learn about plants. [Design Sponge] Looking back at the construction of the Second Avenue Subway over the past six years. [Untapped] Check out the $5.5 million D.C. home where Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are reportedly moving. [Business Insider] […]

Uncategorized

January 4, 2017

3,000 Ubers could replace NYC’s fleet of 14,000 taxis

If the city is looking to cut down on emissions and reduce traffic, here is some food for thought courtesy of folks over at MIT. Researchers at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) have determined that 3,000 ridesharing vehicles have the potential to do the same amount of work as NYC's fleet of roughly 14,000 taxis—that is if New Yorkers are willing to use rideshare carpooling like Lyft Line and Uber POOL.
find out more here

Transit

January 4, 2017

$3.2M Carnegie Hill condo at the Gatsby lives up to its elegant pre-war namesake

The classic seven: That increasingly rare breed of New York City apartment, almost non-existent among condos, was much more often seen in the pre-war era, before building owners felt the need to pack as many people as possible into every square inch. This particular specimen in The Gatsby at 65 East 96th Street can be found on the market for $3.195 million in its most likely habitat, the Upper East Side, and it's a beauty. Everything has been perfectly updated for 21st-century living and gorgeous pre-war details are at their best. There are even building amenities, plus the freedom of condo ownership, but mostly it's the kind of apartment that only needs to show its floor plan.
Tour this gracious seven-room home

Distinctive Homes

January 4, 2017

The Internet of Things: How our homes will know us better than we know them

By Cait Etherington

At the start of every new year, futurologists inform us of what the next 12 months might have in store. For 2017, there is widespread speculation that the Internet of Things will continue to reshape our lives and homes in profound and lasting ways. If you haven’t already familiarized yourself with the Internet of Things […]

January 4, 2017

Norman Foster’s 50 Hudson Yards will be city’s most expensive office building at $4B

It's been less than a month since it was revealed that starchitect Norman Foster would be designing the Related Companies' and Oxford Properties Group's 50 Hudson Yards commercial tower, but the developers have already pegged the cost of the project at $3.94 billion, which will make it the city's most expensive office building, reports The Real Deal. The 985-foot tower, where BlackRock has already signed a 20-year lease for 15 floors, will surpass One Vanderbilt's projected $3.14 billion price tag and Bjarke Ingels' planned $3 billion+ High Line tower known as The Spiral, as well as One World Trade Center's current record of $3.8 billion.
Find out more

January 4, 2017

New details for controversial Midtown East rezoning revealed, plan moves forward with land use review

Plans to rezone Midtown East are few steps closer to reality with the start of the new year. The Department of City Planning has certified a rezoning proposal for the area surrounding Grand Central, and the city kicked off its official land-use review process Tuesday. The next step for the rezoning plans will be the seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which includes review by community boards 5 and 6, the Manhattan borough president, the City Planning Commission and the City Council. The zoning proposal could add 6.5 million square feet of commercial space to the 73-block district in the form of 16 larger, more modern buildings that would replace old ones, breathing new life into the office zone that New York Post real estate columnist Steve Cuozzo recently referred to as “iconic but declining.”
Find out more

Policy

January 4, 2017

Emma Stone’s former Chelsea townhouse returns for $19.75M

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield, Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Glenn Close, Courtney Love, Olivier Sarkozy--all of these celebs have called the landmarked townhouse at 436 West 20th Street home. But as Curbed notes, this A-list roster isn't helping the 1835 Greek Revival beauty find a buyer, which may have to do with the fact that it's currently chopped up into five units. "It first hit the market in 2010 for $21 million, returned in 2012 for $19 million, and returned yet again in 2015 for $22.5 million," they explain, and it's now hoping 2017 will be its lucky year, as it's just returned for $19.75 million.
Look around the celebrity hotbed

January 3, 2017

IDNYC adds 10 new institutions to its roster of free offerings for 2017

For the third straight year, IDNYC will remain free to all New Yorkers over the age of 14, despite concerns related to Donald Trump's request for data from sanctuary cities (h/t DNAinfo). Currently, more than 900,000 people are cardholders, which makes them eligible for memberships and discounts at 38 cultural institutions, 10 of which are brand new this year and include the Museum of Arts and Design, Museum at Eldridge Street, Film Forum, St. George Theatre, and the Jacques Marchais Center for Tibetan Art. Other perks include a 15 percent discount for first-time Citi Bike members, a five percent discount during certain times at Food Bazaar supermarkets, and up to 25 percent off select events at the Barclay's Center.
Find out more right this way

January 3, 2017

Apply for seven affordable units in the Bronx’s Morris Heights area, starting at $1,292/month

2016 saw a huge influx of new affordable housing developments and subsequent lotteries in the Bronx, and the new year is kicking off with yet another. As of Thursday, qualifying New Yorkers can apply for seven brand new units at 74 West Tremont Avenue, a small, eight-story building in the borough's easily accessible Morris Heights neighborhood. The availabilities include $1,292/month one-bedrooms and $1,458/month two-bedrooms for those earning 80 percent of the area media income.
All the details

Affordable Housing

January 3, 2017

Two bright, lofted co-ops in the West Village hit the market together for $1.599M

By Emily Nonko

Sunlight is a good look for these two apartments at the West Village cooperative 79 Barrow Street. Both pads—which hold a large floor-to-ceiling window and a lofted bedroom—are being offered together with an opportunity to combine them into a bigger, even brighter, two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. Located right in the heart of the neighborhood, directly west of Washington Square Park, there's lots of design potential for the buyer who doesn't mind getting their hands dirty and combining two apartments into one.
Get a look at both places

Distinctive Homes

January 3, 2017

MTA Chairman announces retirement following Second Avenue Subway opening

The opening of the Second Avenue subway was MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast’s final achievement in the 25 years he has worked for the organization. The chairman announced on Monday he is retiring from public service in a joint statement with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Prendergast expressed special pride for the Herculean effort to secure a January ribbon […]

Transit

January 3, 2017

40 percent of Sandy-damaged homes still not fixed; NYPD K9 unit gets a calendar

Forty percent of homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy are still not fixed, despite the city’s goal of completing work by the end of 2016. [NYDN] A software engineer created a visualization of all 20,520 words in “Hamilton.” [Fast Co. Design] How much you need to save each day to become a millionaire by age 65 (it […]

Uncategorized

January 3, 2017

$40M Brooklyn Heights townhouse with a mayoral past is now four pricey rentals

After being on the market for over two years, Brooklyn’s priciest townhouse–a $40 million home at 3 Pierrepont Place–is now being offered as four rental units. 6sqft previously featured the home, known as the Low Mansion for the previous owner and businessman A.A. Low, whose son, Seth Low, became mayor of New York City in 1902. Spanning 17,500 square feet, the eight-figure townhouse boasted 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and more than 9,000 square feet of garden and outdoor space with original details galore. Though even Matt Damon toured the grand Brooklyn Heights property back in September, the house hasn't found a buyer, so the owner is now offering the mansion as four luxurious rental homes from a $4,500 one-bedroom to a 1,700-square-foot top-floor unit for $12,000 a month (h/t Curbed).
Find out more

January 3, 2017

City may continue to house homeless New Yorkers in hotel rooms for nine years

Though Mayor de Blasio said early last year that he would phase out the process of using hotel rooms to fill the gaps in supporting the city's growing homeless population "as quickly as possible," a new request from the Department of Homeless Services would extend the practice for up to nine years. The Post reports that the agency's proposal is in response to the record 60,686+ New Yorkers in shelters, and they're asking for vendors to supply "emergency shelter social services in commercial hotels."
Find out more

Policy

January 3, 2017

New renderings and details for Rafael Viñoly’s 125 Greenwich Street

Construction at Rafael Viñoly’s slender skyscraper 125 Greenwich Street has reached street level, but as CityRealty uncovered, the tower that was slated to be taller than 1,000 feet over the summer (and previously 1,400 feet), is back down to 898 feet. Though this now makes it shorter than Fumihiko Maki’s 977-foot 4 World Trade Center one block north, fresh renderings show that the 88-story condo will still offer sweeping views of the city and harbor, which are shown for the first time from interior shots.
More views and details ahead

January 3, 2017

510-foot Rafael Viñoly-designed tower coming to East 62nd Street

Lenox Hill will see the addition of a new 510-foot tower at 249 East 62nd Street, designed by none other than 432 Park starchitect Rafael Viñoly. CityRealty reports that plans for the mixed-use skyscraper were filed in the last days of December by Chance Gordy of Florida-based Real Estate Inverlad, who is also developing another condo tower nearby called The Clare. The Viñoly design will join a slew of new Upper East Side constructions prompted by the opening of the Second Avenue Subway line, which is located just a few minutes walk away.
more details this way

New Developments

January 3, 2017

Look out over your $5.9M West Village loft from the crow’s nest in the living room

This 3,400 square-foot loft in an 1890s warehouse at 68 Jane Street not only has 17-foot ceilings, but a cool rounded, windowed loft from which to gaze out at the room below. Currently asking $5,875 million, this sprawling duplex on one of the West Village's prettiest streets has all the important loft attributes like exposed brick and beamed ceilings, plus three bedrooms and a private street entrance.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

Bergen Brooklyn

323 Bergen Street

Boerum Hill

World-class design rooted in Brooklyn charm

studios starting at $825,000
1 beds starting at $1,200,000
2 beds starting at $1,925,000
3 beds starting at $3,050,000
4 beds starting at $6,000,000

Learn More

January 3, 2017

Lottery opens for 63 affordable units at former Bushwick convent, starting at $519/month

All the way back in 2012, the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council and developer Georgica Green announced plans to redevelop Bushwick's former Our Lady of Lourdes convent into affordable and supportive housing, and now, nearly five years later, the lottery has opened for 63 brand new units at the site. The available apartments are reserved for those earning 40, 50, 60, or 80 percent of the area media income and range from $519/month studios to $1,740/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

January 2, 2017

For $525K, this 1880 Dutchess County country house has a horse barn, a wood shop and a pond

If you owned this Dutchess County home, you’d never need to stay in a cute country inn; the historic Hyde Park/Pleasant Valley four-bedroom house resembles a quaint B&B from its outbuildings and pond to its cozy interiors (h/t CIRCA). Currently on the market for $525,000, 45 Marshall Road is about the most textbook example of an uncomplicated country home that we've seen in a while. And it might be just the thing for next year's Christmas card photo.
Explore the simple life

January 1, 2017

Nearly 100 years later, the Second Avenue Subway officially opens!

Today history is made, as January 1, 2017 marks the official public opening of the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway. The New York City transit endeavor has been in the works for nearly a century, and finally after countless delays and an eye-popping $4 billion bill, straphangers on the far Upper East Side will have access to three brand new stations at 72nd, 86th and 96th Streets. Just before midnight yesterday evening, Governor Cuomo, MTA CEO Thomas F. Prendergast, city and state pols, members of President Obama’s Cabinet, local community members, and many of the workers who helped build the new line’s massive underground tunnels and stations, took the line's inaugural ride.
photos this way

Transit

December 31, 2016

From a Trump presidency to rental prices, NYC real estate experts share their 2017 predictions

By Emily Nonko

CityRealty spoke with New York City real estate experts—everyone from developers to architects to contractors to brokers—on their predictions for the upcoming year in the city’s ever-changing real estate market. From the presidential election of real estate magnate Donald Trump to the likely return of 421A tax incentives, 2017 promises big changes ahead. And yes, […]

Real Estate Trends

Secret Russian compound on Long Island shut down after Obama-issued sanctions

A Google Earth image of the property

December 30, 2016

Secret Russian compound on Long Island shut down after Obama-issued sanctions